The disclosure relates to sewing machines which comprise a sewing mechanism including a needle swing mechanism and a display and which are capable of performing a pattern sewing by operating the sewing mechanism on the basis of pattern data, and more particularly to a pattern data producing device incorporated in the sewing machines for producing the pattern data and a pattern data producing control program.
Electronically controlled sewing machines have conventionally been provided in which relatively simpler pattern stitches are executable in addition to various utility stitches. In the aforesaid pattern stitches, a control device of the sewing machine reads out pattern data of a desired one of a plurality of patterns selected by a user. The control device controls a sewing mechanism including a needle swing mechanism on the basis of the selected pattern data. In this case, the pattern data are previously stored on a ROM of the control device or are read from an external memory such as a ROM card.
On the other hand, a pattern data producing function has been proposed to be incorporated in electrically controllable sewing machine capable of executing the pattern stitches as described above. The pattern data producing function realizes input of a desired pattern or figure by the user and automatic production of pattern data corresponding to the input pattern. For example, JP-A-2001-38076 discloses a pattern data producing device comprising a large-sized liquid-crystal display provided on a pillar of a sewing machine and including a touch panel mounted on an outer surface of the display.
A pattern input area is displayed on a screen of the display, and cursor moving keys for moving a cursor vertically and laterally and various function keys are set on the touch panel. The user sequentially inputs and instructs a plurality of needle drop points for a desired pattern while operating the cursor moving keys so that the cursor is moved within the pattern input area. Then, pattern data is produced on the basis of data of the input needle drop points.
However, in the above-described conventional pattern data producing device, the cursor needs to be moved to every one of needle drop points so that a plurality of needle drop points are input. Accordingly, since the cursor moving keys need to be operated at a plurality of times in combination, the pattern data producing device is disadvantageous in the operability. Thus, in order that a plurality of needle drop points may be input, the cursor moving keys need to be operated at an increased number of times, whereupon the pattern input necessitates much time.